Does anyone else plan to stay in bedside?

Nurses General Nursing

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I'm 24 and it seems that all my nursing friends my age and older only use bedside nursing as a stepping stone to CRNP,DNP, CRNA, and NM. I have no issue with that, it just seems like I'm the only one in the group that truly love bedside nursing and when I tell them that they are shocked. I also feel like they think it means I'm settling, but I didn't become a nurse not to work in bedside. I can totally see myself being one of those nurses still working the floor until I'm ready to roll over and die.

I started nursing 8 years ago. I went from a CNA, LPN, RN and now on my way to BSN. So I do understand the politics and the stresses of working in bedside. However, the pros outweigh the cons in my opinions.

My long term goal is to do part-time in bedside and part-time teaching clinicals for LPNs and RNs at a CC. In my area, you need a BSN to teach clinical.

So am I the only one who truly loves being a bedside nurse?

After reading this thread, I feel like I'm the only one extremely excited about working at the bedside. I've always been a people person and always put others first. I'd love to make someone's day just a little bit better by being their caring nurse. I understand its not always like that and not every patient is even kind or sweet, but isn't that what nursing is all about? I don't want to sit in an office all day, I want to interact with patients.

Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.
After reading this thread, I feel like I'm the only one extremely excited about working at the bedside. I've always been a people person and always put others first. I'd love to make someone's day just a little bit better by being their caring nurse. I understand its not always like that and not every patient is even kind or sweet, but isn't that what nursing is all about? I don't want to sit in an office all day, I want to interact with patients.

Yep. Taking care of patients is why I am here.Why would I want to follow a path that would take me away from the bedside?

Yup, I knew a PN who got her LPN and highschool diplomas on the same day, at age 17, in New York. She was 50 when I knew her and that was 10 years ago at least, so it is possible they don't offer this type of vo-tech education anymore.

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They still do this here in Florida. High schoolers are in the lpn program now and when they graduate will be graduate nurses as well. They look like babies! It's crazy! Lol

Specializes in critical care.

Then either our floor is equivalent to your ICU or your ICU is equivalent to our floor. With 30 patients on just one of our med/surg floors and only two techs per unit, there is NO way the work would get done without the nurses' involvement.

You're right... we have 20 beds and 1 - 2 techs. But that is with a 1:2 nurse: patient ratio. When I floated to step-down, it was 1:4 nurse: patient, and 1:8 tech: patient. (This was at night.)

I guess I am just lucky to work in such a supportive environment. If I was struggling with 6+ patients and no tech to be found, perhaps I wouldn't be so happy working at the bedside!

I am currently a student NP but I heard that some NPs still work as a RN once in a while because they miss bedside nursing. Depending on my future work schedule, I might actually do that too. Perhaps as a per-diem or agency nurse. All I know is that I often miss the interactions with taking care of a patient on a personal level. If that makes sense.

Being at the bedside doesn't necessarily equate to floor nursing. I plan to stay "gurney side" in the ED for the remainder of my hopefully long career.

Swap the running clothes for scrubs and this will be me doing the ED hustle in a few years:

"I'm coming! I've got the Dilaudid right here!!"

Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.

I've been a nurse for 17 years. I love bedside nursing. I love my job. I've done other things in nurse from clinical instructor, house supervisor, to charge nurse. But I always end up back at the bedside where I belong and love to be. I loved instructing and the energy and enthusiasm that the students had as well.

I'm not settling for bedside. though, I hear that too - "oh, you're smart enough to be a CRNA/NP/MD" - but I say: Yes. I am, and I'm smart enough to know that the patients/families need me at the bedside. :)

I went to nursing school in the 60's and retired after 40 plus years in nursing.

I was a bedside nurse for all those years and am proud of it.

I knew what I was getting in to when I went into nursing....shift work/long hours/weekend work/working holidays.

But my CALLING, not a job, required this when taking care of patients and I was there to take care of patients.

Good for you, wanting to remain at bedside. I loved it but just couldn't do the 12-hour shifts any more. Also, the short staffing was killing me. I was a pretty darned good nurse by the time I left the hospital and took my skills into home health care. Good luck to you!

I couldn't agree more. I also felt the same when I was younger, but switched to home health in my forties and make such better pay and way better hours.

Specializes in pediatrics; PICU; NICU.

I've been a nurse 35 years & have always done bedside. That's what I went to school for. I knew way back then that all I ever wanted to do was direct patient care.

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